Four problems related to front suspension have been reported for the 1998 Oldsmobile Cutlass. The most recently reported issues are listed below.
Consumer was driving 20 mph when engine stalled in middle of highway. Vehicle setfor awhile and it restarted. Also, air conditioning worked intermittently, and low pitch noise was coming from front end. Contacted dealer.
Shake, vibration is felt most when driving at speeds around 50-60mph. I was told that new tires would stop the vibration and that a balance and alignment would help in the meantime. The balancing and rotating as well as having the car aligned have not helped at all. I dont think it has anything to do with tires. The oil smell cannot be explained, there are no leaks.
We reported the problem as a loud pop when turning and striking a bump in the road. After three trips to the dealer and being told there was nothing wrong, they finally examined the rack and pinion and found a broken weld on the rack assembly. There is still some unusual noises in the front end but the dealor tells us everything is normal. At 8,000 miles the left front rotor was examined, and found to have deep scores in it while the right one was smooth. After three days in the shop, and there telling me this was normal wear they finally turned the rotors (not replacing them) this eleminated some noise and surging when stopping, but something is still not right. There is a ticking noise like when there is a rock in one of your tires, as well as unexplained poping when crossing rr tracks etc.
When braking, the front end and steering wheel vibrate, dealer has claimed to fix the problem in the front end, but problem still exists.